


Star Touched

by creeshtar



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Astrology, Awkward Flirting, Eventual Romance, Fantasy AU, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, I'm just here to have fun, M/M, Magic, Modern Fantasy, Original Characters - Freeform, cause that's always fun, characters to be added as they show up, there's magic AND technology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-11-17 23:19:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11278848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creeshtar/pseuds/creeshtar
Summary: It is said that when the world was wild and new, the stars reached down to their children, the humans, and granted a select few to receive incredible powers. Appropriately, these beings are called "star touched", and can enact great change in the world around them, be it for good or evil.Yuuri Katsuki is one such being, on a team assigned to gather information on the cultish Order of Ophiuchus that has been ravaging the southern regions with sporadic attacks and mysterious shadow beasts. In spite of his lack of confidence in his magic, Yuuri is determined to prove himself on this mission. But will his dim flame be bright enough to reveal the secrets that hide in the darkness between the stars?





	1. In the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ  
> So, those of you who have been following this story will notice that there's only one chapter instead of four or five. I've decided to rewrite the chapters I've written so far, because that's what I've should've been doing in the first place, instead of just editing a few things here and there. I'm already much more confident in the quality of this work, so I hope you'll all enjoy it that much more. As it is, I don't have school for the next month, so I'll have a lot of free time to spend working on this (and I intend to work on it a lot). My hope is to have the first four chapters rewritten within the next week, and then we'll see how updates go from there. Thank you all for your patience, and many thanks to my brilliant beta Rendevok for supporting me throughout the ups and downs of this story!

_ It is a veritable fact that the universe once existed in a strict balance of light and dark. The light, brought forth by the stars, was a frail and extinguishable force. The darkness between the stars, on the other hand, was endless and immortal, the beginning from which we came, and the end which we will inevitably meet. In the midst of this stark opposition, life was born.  _

 

_ The stars, with hearts made of fire and magic, created the materials of life, but with their limited lifespans, the life they had birthed was left to be cradled by the darkness. And thus the strict lines that defined the universe began to blur, bleeding into each other until everything was confused and chaotic. _

 

_ This was the universe inherited by humans, children of both light and dark, who were lost but determined to make sense of things. They began to sort things in ways that were simple. Night and day, sound and silence, good and evil, light and dark. As they muddled their way through this seemingly new world, however, the force which had so gently held them in their infancy suddenly sought to destroy them. To them it sent harrowing thoughts to plague them in their loneliest moments, shrieking winds to keep away the warmth they so craved. But as with the creation of life, opposition brought growth. _

 

_ The stars, seeing their children struggle, reached down to give them the only gift they had to offer: the magic in their hearts. Blessed with extraordinary power, the humans who received the magic of the stars were able to enact great change. Whether that change was for good or evil was up to them, but it became a veritable fact that the star-touched, as they came to be known, could shift the course of nature itself, so long as they simply believed they could. _

 

_ Throughout the history of humanity, heroes rose to prominence. Their stories rose above their history, to embed themselves in the stars. In typical human fashion, patterns were recognized and defined, the stars grouped together in accordance with their stories. Certain groups had certain powers, other groups had other powers. The constellations became the guides humanity abided by. _

 

_ Among the eighty-eight constellations in the sky, there were thirteen of particular note. People had long known that anyone could end up with the powers defined by any constellation, if they were star-touched at all. In the case of these constellations, however, only people born during a defined time would be granted the powers of these constellations. Lying along the path of the sun, these constellations came to be known as the Zodiac, and the star-touched born with their powers commanded significant power. _

 

_ Over time, however, one constellation was slowly ushered out of the procession of the Zodiac. Old stories claim that the stars thought the wielders of the power of Ophiuchus too powerful, and so cast them into the darkness so that the balance between life and death did not fall into the chaos that humanity had so desperately fought against. Indeed, modern scientists are uncertain as to why the powers of Ophiuchus disappeared so completely, when they know perfectly well that it is simply the tilt of the Earth that shifted the constellation off of the path of the sun-- _

 

Yuuri’s head fell forward, startling him into wakefulness. He rubbed at his eyes, aching from staring at the bright screen of the computer all day. He turned his attention to the ream of papers at the other end of the desk, huffing with impatience. There had to be some sort of magic at work here; he’d been working through the reports all day, but was nowhere close to being finished processing them. His hand itched with the temptation to burn the lot.

 

He slumped down in his chair, feeling utterly burnt out and unwilling to even touch another report. Yuuri thought himself a sensible and patient person (contrary to what people thought he ought to be like), but this pushed his limit. Reading and processing reports on the activities of a cult calling themselves the Order of Ophiuchus, when he should be out on the field, facing the Order himself. He was technically a field mage, after all, but it seemed to be his lot in life to fall short of every expectation.

 

Born under Sagittarius, everyone expected Yuuri to be fiery, impatient, and enthusiastic. In reality, Yuuri was steadfast and quiet, bordering on timidity. Too often he had argued that Sagittarius was a sign of duality, and that his reflective nature was but another aspect of a Sagittarian personality. But thousands of Sagittarians had already set a precedent, and if someone didn’t know any better, they often guessed Yuuri to be a Taurus. Indeed, as a child Yuuri had often asked his parents if they were sure he was a Sagittarius, to which they answered that he wouldn’t have the magic of a Sagittarius if he wasn’t.

 

Even then, there were doubts. His magic was just another disappointment among the series of expectations that was Yuuri’s life. It was given that Sagittarian magic was already notably dimmer than that of the other fire signs, Leo and Aries. But even for a Sagittarius, Yuuri’s flame was particularly dim, no brighter than that of a candle, flickering weakly in the palm of his hand. Other Sagittarians wielded their flames for precision attacks, relying on those born under Leo or Aries for more powerful fire attacks. 

 

With little magical ability to speak of, Yuuri poured his efforts into honing his other Sagittarian traits, like archery and tracking. If there was one expectation Yuuri could surpass in every sense of the word, it was his ability as a marksman. He believed his skill with a bow and arrow was the reason he was admitted as a field mage of the Boreus Astrum at all.

 

It was a magnificent organization, one that Yuuri had dreamed of joining since he was a child. Its authority reached across the northern span of the country, ensuring peace and prosperity for all who were under its wing. There were other, smaller organizations like it, but the Boreus Astrum, which employed only Zodiac mages, was thought to be the most prestigious. He could hardly believe it when he’d received his letter of acceptance, having spent weeks after his admissions test convincing himself that he would be rejected. 

 

But here he was, part of the most esteemed organization of justice in the land, and they had him doing paperwork. It wasn’t that he was bitter, but… well, maybe he was a little bitter. And restless.

 

With a defeated sigh, Yuuri pushed himself away from the desk (which wasn’t even his desk! They had him doing paperwork and he didn’t even have a set place to do it!) and quietly shuffled out of the dreary office. 

 

Out of the enclosed and deafeningly quiet space, Yuuri felt like he could breathe easier. He set off down the hallway at a brisk pace, intending take a turn around the courtyards when his phone began to buzz insistently in his pocket.

 

“Hey, Phichit, what’s up?” Yuuri answered, wondering why his friend was calling during the day when he was supposed to be out on a mission.

 

“Guess who’s back!” Phichit sang.

 

Yuuri grinned brightly. “Really? You’re early, where are you, I’ll meet you there!” Paperwork be damned, Phichit was Yuuri’s best friend, and Yuuri wanted to hear all about his first mission.

 

“I am--” Phichit started slowly.

 

Yuuri slowed his pace, listening intently. It wasn’t until a second beforehand that he heard heavy footsteps barreling towards him, but by then it was too late. Strong arms grabbed him from behind, crushing him into a bear hug that almost made him drop his phone.

 

“Right here!” Phichit finished gleefully.

 

“Phichit--” Yuuri wheezed.

 

“Oh, right, sorry,” Phichit said, setting down his friend, who promptly turned around to hug him properly.

 

“Remember your own strength, you goof,” Yuuri lightly chastised, pulling away from the hug.

 

Slightly abashed, Phichit apologized again. “Sorry, it’s easy to forget.”

 

“Of course, you’ve only been a Taurus your whole life,” Yuuri remarked dryly.

 

They began to walk at an amiable pace as Phichit argued that his Taurean strength was only natural to him, and what was second nature was easily forgotten, especially when he’d spent the last week or so using that trait to its fullest.

 

“Speaking of which, how’d your mission go?” Yuuri inquired, eager to hear the details.

 

Phichit waved a hand at him. “Nothing interesting, what’s more interesting is why we got called back early.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“The Order of Ophiuchus,” Phichit stated.

 

Yuuri groaned at the name.

 

“I take it you’ve heard of them?” Phichit laughed.

 

“Heard of them? I can tell you every place they’ve hit up in the last week, in chronological order, and the extent of the damages they caused, in full detail,” Yuuri huffed, reminded of the paperwork he had so carelessly abandoned just minutes ago.

 

“Yeesh, that bad?”

 

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t even believe.”

 

A thoughtful look crossed Phichit’s face. “Think they’ll miss you in the office?”

 

Yuuri shrugged. “I don’t see why they would. Why?”

 

“You look half-dead. Let’s go to the training yard and get some blood pumping, yeah?”

 

“You sure? You just got back from a mission,” Yuuri pointed out, only to be shushed by Phichit.

 

“It’s fine, it’s fine, let’s go,” Phichit insisted. “Besides, you need to keep yourself sharp. What with the Order causing all this mayhem, you’ll be put on a mission for sure--”

 

“I’d rather not get my hopes up,” Yuuri droned, trailing behind Phichit as they made their way through the building.

 

“Come on, don’t be so pessimistic. We’re gearing up for something big, I can feel it,” Phichit tittered, bouncing a little as he walked.

 

“Okay, but for a second, be realistic. For as long as I’ve been here, I haven’t been on a single mission. I’m too inexperienced for something like this, no one would request me to be part of their team,” Yuuri reasoned.

 

“So make your own team,” Phichit countered.

 

“No way, who would even be on a team with me?”

 

Phichit gave him a pointed look.

 

“Besides you.”

 

Phichit sighed. “I guess I’ll have to have enough optimism for both of us then.”

 

Yuuri frowned, mumbling, “Sorry…”

 

“Don’t worry about it!” Phichit assured him, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “Listen, how about we do a little training, and then we’ll go to our supervisors and make a team of our own, you and me.”

 

“Who else would be on our team?” Yuuri asked, unable to help the grin that broke across his face.

 

Phichit waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t know, we’d need an air sign and a water sign though--but you let me worry about that.”

 

“And I’ll deal with the paperwork?” Yuuri suggested wryly.

 

“That’s the spirit!” Phichit exclaimed, squeezing Yuuri almost too tightly as they finally arrived at the training yards. “Now, where’s your bow?”

 

A blank stare and a quick run home and back later, Yuuri and Phichit had claimed one of the smaller training yards. It was an open yard, bordered by a waist high fence; Yuuri found the cool air welcoming, especially after a long day in an office. It wasn’t a typical choice for archery practice, but then, Yuuri wasn’t a typical archer.

 

“You look like a nerd,” Phichit teased lightly.

 

Yuuri had just finished attaching a strap to his glasses so that they didn’t fall off during his training. It felt a little goofy, but it was better than suddenly not being able to see his target. He’d briefly considered switching to contacts, but as a field mage, the chances of getting dirt in his eyes or tearing the contacts would be too high (or at least, they would be if he ever got assigned to a mission). It was better to look like a nerd than deal with contacts.

 

“Well you  _ are  _ a nerd,” Yuuri retorted.

 

Not a second later, Yuuri bent backwards in half to avoid a target plate that ended up missing his face by a hair.

 

“What the hell?!” he demanded.

 

Phichit tutted at him. “You’ve gotten rusty. Have you seriously not practiced since I left?”

 

Standing upright again, Yuuri shuffled in place. He had in fact not practiced since the last time they had practiced together.

 

“I still dodged it…” Yuuri offered weakly.

 

“Yeah, but normally that target would already be in pieces,” Phichit pointed out. “Not to worry my friend, we’ll whip you back into shape lickety-split.”

 

He hurled another target plate at Yuuri. This time, the plate shattered before it even crossed half the distance between them. They grinned at each other.

 

“Now that’s more like it,” Phichit said, picking up an entire stack of target plates.

 

Yuuri took a steadying breath, clutching his bow tight in one hand, and three arrows in the other. A beat passed, and they began in earnest.

 

Phichit tossed two plates in the air above Yuuri, who twisted to take aim and fire at them. He rolled out of the way to avoid the debris and a third plate that Phichit had aimed at him. Whipping around, he fired the last arrow in his hand and did not wait to watch it collide with the plate with spectacular force. He ran to pick up his first arrow, narrowly dodging another target plate; Yuuri was certain he would have whiplash after this.

 

Only a moment had passed when Phichit ran out of target plates. He looked as chipper as ever, while Yuuri had just begun to work up a sweat.

 

“You warmed up now?” Phichit asked.

 

“No, I’ve actually been a water sign this whole time,” Yuuri said, wiping the sweat off his brow and flinging it at his friend.

 

“Rude!” Phichit shrieked. “Alright now I’m really going to kick your ass, please tell me you brought your dummy arrows.”

 

Yuuri nodded, grasping a handful of the dummy arrows from his quiver. Phichit grabbed his own practice weapon, a mimic of the traditional Taurean warhammer he carried around; flat on one end, pointed on the other, a devastating weapon overall, especially in Phichit’s steady hands.

 

“What do you say, on three?” Phichit asked, settling in a solid stance.

 

“On three,” Yuuri agreed.

 

“Okay then.” Phichit adjusted the grip on his hammer. “One--”

 

Yuuri readied an arrow; Phichit was an earth sign, but training with Yuuri had made his speed a force to be reckoned with.

 

“Two--”

 

Yuuri tipped his weight onto the balls of his feet, ready to move in an instant.

 

“Th--!”

 

“Hi!” a voice chirped from the sidelines, effectively shattering the concentration they had built between them.

 

Annoyed, Yuuri turned to glare at whoever interrupted them. If it was some stranger come to complain about practicing archery in an open yard, Yuuri was certain he would blow his top--

 

But the blue-eyed spectator was not a stranger (or at the very least, not entirely unfamiliar), and did not look at all concerned. In fact, he looked genuinely curious, his gaze intense and his smile soft.

 

“Ah,” Yuuri squeaked. He knew who that was. He knew very well who that was (Yuuri hoped that he hadn’t heard him squeak).

 

“Oh, hey there,” Phichit greeted, walking over to the man and urging Yuuri to do the same. “Can we help you?”

 

“I’m just curious, I’m sorry to have interrupted,” the man replied, tapping a finger lightly against his lips.

 

“No worries, but maybe you could’ve said something sooner?” Phichit suggested.

 

“Sorry, sorry,” the man apologized again. “I’m Victor, by the way.”

 

Victor held out a hand, which Phichit took, introducing himself and Yuuri in return.

 

Victor then turned to Yuuri, whose mouth was glued shut at the moment. “Pleased to meet you both, but I’m curious. Why are you practicing archery in an open yard? Aren’t you worried you’ll hit someone if you miss?”

 

Yuuri would never be sure what prompted the next words out his mouth. Perhaps he had lost consciousness, and a foreign entity had taken temporary control of his body, leaving just in time to leave Yuuri to deal with the embarrasing consequences. More likely it was the fact that it was a question he had grown so tired of he answered it automatically every time. Regardless, there was no changing what was said.

 

“I don’t miss,” Yuuri told him without hesitation. The surprise on Victor’s face alerted Yuuri to what he had just said, and immediately he tried to backpedal. “That is to say, training is a controlled environment, so missing is--well--I mean, I’m sure if I was in an actual stressful situation then I would probably miss--”

 

“Oh don’t be modest,” Phichit interrupted, clapping him on the shoulder. “Though I think it would be more accurate to say that you always make the shots you take.”

 

“Yes, that is--that sounds better,” Yuuri sputtered, although it still sounded a little boastful.

 

“Really? And how many shots do you take?” Victor questioned, leaning against the fence.

 

Yuuri had no idea how to answer that question without sounding as arrogant as he initially had. “I--it’s hard to say? As many as I can, I guess.”

 

Victor hummed, his eyes glittering with some indecipherable thought.

 

“I have to admit, I’ve never seen an archer move quite the way you do. Would you be interested in a quick match-up?”

 

“A what now?” Yuuri asked as the words processed in his mind.

 

“He sure would!” Phichit answered for him.

 

“Great!” Victor exclaimed as he hopped gracefully over the fence, bringing himself that much closer to Yuuri, who was very certain his brain would short circuit at any moment.

 

“How do you two normally go about it?” Victor asked.

 

“Well, for Yuuri, the goal is to hit his opponent with three arrows, preferably in a place that would cause significant damage with a real arrow, like the chest, gut, head… Stuff like that,” Phichit explained.

 

“He can’t get in close or use his magic?”

 

“I can, I just prefer not to,” Yuuri answered for himself, conveniently failing to mention that close range archery was something of a specialty for him.

 

“I see. And what about me? What are the conditions for a win for me?”

 

“Since injury is a no-go, anything that puts him in a compromising situation is a loss. That is, you could disarm him, immobilize him,  _ pin him down _ \--”

 

“Alright, I think he gets it!” Yuuri hissed. Phichit had the audacity to wink at him, and Yuuri hoped to the the stars themselves that Victor didn’t see.

 

“Okay, seems simple enough. Shall we being then?” Victor asked with a flourish.

 

Phichit hurried to the side, giving Yuuri a thumbs up as he did. Yuuri mouthed ‘I’m going to kick your ass,’ at him.

 

“Before we begin, are you familiar with my particular brand of magic?” Victor asked, stretching his arms above his head.

 

Was Yuuri familiar with Victor’s magic? Victor Nikiforov, one of the most esteemed mages of the Boreus Astrum?

 

“Yes,” Yuuri answered curtly.

 

Victor, Yuuri knew, was a Capricorn, an earth sign. Generally, Capricornian magic was about on the same level as Sagittarian magic; better for precision than power. But there were more forces at work than just the stars. Capricorn was ruled by Saturn, and while normally this granted secondary (but powerful) abilities, in Victor the interaction of Saturn and the stars of Capricorn gave way to a completely unique brand of magic.

 

So long as he was in contact with the ground, Victor could summon any sort of plant life within a matter of seconds. Mostly Victor chose to use the ability for humanitarian efforts, but in the event he was called to battle, he was rumored to be unstoppable. Magic aside, Victor was a brilliant fighter. Only once had Yuuri seen Victor sparring with someone publicly; his movements were fluid and graceful, but powerful. At the time, Yuuri had thought himself lucky to never have to face Victor, even in practice.

 

“Alrighty, if you’re both ready, I’m going to count to three,” Phichit called from the sidelines.

 

Yuuri took a steadying breath. He shouldn’t be intimidated. He just had to think. He wasn’t sure what the exact range of Victor’s magic was, but he was fairly confident that it covered the expanse of the training yard.

 

“One--”

 

Victor was an earth sign, Yuuri was a fire sign. Fire could scorch earth, but earth could suffocate fire. That meant nothing if Yuuri wasn’t going to use his magic though. As it was, even if he did have more confidence in his magic, Yuuri wasn’t sure he would use it. After all, he didn’t want to actually hurt Victor.

 

“Two--”

 

Yuuri shifted his weight forward. He had to be ready to move immediately, given the likelihood that he would be assaulted from a distance right off. Not to mention, if he got in close, it might surprise Victor enough to give Yuuri time to end this quickly. Hardly anyone expected close range combat from an archer.

 

“Three!”

 

Yuuri surged forward in anticipation of a long range attack. But when he found Victor rushing at him, he hesitated, almost tripping over his own feet. Victor used his hesitation to his advantage, closing the distance between them and grabbing the wrist of Yuuri’s bow hand. Yuuri twisted in an attempt to escape his grip, but Victor’s hand was a vice on his arm.

 

‘Typical earth sign…’ Yuuri thought, dropping two arrows from his other hand and twirling the remaining one in order to jab at Victor. He didn’t manage to land a hit, but at the very least Victor released him and jumped back out of Yuuri’s reach.

 

Yuuri moved to follow, intending to put Victor on the defensive, but a solid grip on his left leg told him he wasn’t going anywhere. A quick glance showed a thick vine coiled tightly around his calf up to his knee. He looked back up at Victor, who was smiling serenely.

 

Yuuri’s thoughts began racing. Had Victor intended on making this a long distance battle from the start? Did he have a counter to Yuuri’s archery? Yuuri nocked an arrow, not yet drawing it back.

 

“You’re pretty cautious for a Sagittarius,” Victor remarked.

 

“I get that a lot,” Yuuri replied.

 

Victor started stepping around him, but Yuuri only followed him with his eyes. Trying to turn at this point would result in awkward, unbalanced movements. Better to stay in a solid stance. As soon as Victor disappeared from his line of sight, however, Yuuri twisted at the waist, simultaneously firing his arrow.

 

A vine shot up from the ground in front of Victor, but not in time. The dummy arrow hit the center of his chest with a resounding  _ thwack!  _ He looked genuinely surprised, then immensely pleased. He looked up at Yuuri with a fresh gleam in his eyes. Yuuri, in the meantime, had wasted no time in picking up his discarded arrows, hopping around his immobilized leg so as to not have to twist around. The vine squeezed his leg uncomfortably, but with luck the match would be over soon.

 

“Wow,” Victor breathed. “You really are something, aren’t you?”

 

Yuuri said nothing, trying to keep his attention divided between the ground and Victor, while also trying to figure out why Victor didn’t just tie him up right then and there. Could it be that he couldn’t? Everyone’s magic had a limit; what was Victor’s?

 

Before he could give it much thought, however, a vine shot up from the ground in front of him, whipping dangerously close to his face. Caught off guard, Yuuri didn’t see Victor close the distance between them with blinding speed. This time, Victor grabbed both of Yuuri’s wrists, sliding his foot behind Yuuri’s free leg. A firm shove was all it took to put Yuuri on the ground.

 

As soon as he was down, a vine trapped his bow arm, effectively neutralizing him. Victor towered over him, the gleam in his eyes gone. A spark flared in Yuuri. If Victor thought this was over…

 

“Well, I guess that’s that,” Victor sighed.

 

“That’s what you think.”

 

Yuuri kicked up his free leg, snagging his bow with his foot. He caught the string with his right hand as he brought his leg back down, and with a quick adjustment, aimed and fired his remaining two arrows at Victor. Victor, having not anticipated such a move, did nothing as he was hit by both arrows simultaneously.

 

Yuuri couldn’t help it. He grinned. “I guess that’s that.”

 

Victor smiled brilliantly, his eyes wide and shining again. “I suppose it is.”

 

With a wave of his hand, the vines Victor had summoned receded into the ground. He held out a hand to help Yuuri up.

 

“I haven’t seen you use that trick in a while, Yuuri,” Phichit said, walking over to the two of them.

 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve had to. Uh,” Yuuri turned to Victor, unsure of what to say. Did he thank him? Tell him it was a good match (albeit short)?

 

“Thanks for the match Yuuri,” Victor said. “I had fun. I have something to attend to now, but I’ll see you around.”

 

And with another flourish, Victor left the training yard, Yuuri watching him the entire way out. It wasn’t until he noticed Phichit’s expression that Yuuri realized he was staring and immediately looked away, cheeks burning.

 

“So…?” Phichit started, poking Yuuri lightly.

 

“So what?” Yuuri challenged.

 

“Did you have fun? He almost had you,” Phichit noted.

 

“Yeah. I’m surprised I actually won, but I think I just had the advantage of him not knowing what I’m capable of. At the same time though… Why didn’t he just wrap me up entirely and be done with it?” Yuuri wondered.

 

“Because not everyone’s into that Yuuri,” Phichit teased, earning a punch to the shoulder. “Anyways, you good?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good.” In reality, Yuuri could easily go several more rounds, but he knew that Phichit did not have that kind of stamina.

 

“Okay! Then let’s go make ourselves a team!” Phichit cheered.

 

“What? Oh, right.” With Victor waltzing in and out of the scene so suddenly, Yuuri had forgotten their plan to make their own team after this.

 

“Since you’re doing the paperwork, that means you have to be the leader,” Phichit told him as they cleaned up the yard.

 

Yuuri groaned loudly, earning a laugh from Phichit. He complained all the way to his supervisor’s office, eventually settling on the idea that Phichit could deal with the people part of a mission, while Yuuri spearheaded the paperwork effort. For all his contempt for paperwork, Yuuri couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Being on a team made it that much more likely he would be put on a mission. And with Phichit on his team, there’d be at least one person who had at least a little field experience.

 

“Go on,” Phichit urged when Yuuri hesitated at the door.

 

When Yuuri still didn’t move, Phichit took the initiative. He knocked loudly, and ran, giggling all the while and insisting that Yuuri should text him afterwards. Yuuri was ready to chase after him when he heard a soft “Come in.” from the other side of the door. 

 

Her back was to the door when he sidled in, but she turned around when the door closed. His supervisor was similar to him, a quiet, unassuming Sagittarius. Yuuri wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing. Even after a year of working with her, Miss Stern remained quite mysterious. She often expressed great faith in him, but she had yet to assign him to a mission. It was a point of great curiosity to Yuuri, but he had never actually asked what that was all about. One day, he told himself, he would.

 

“Ah, Yuuri,” she began. “Just the person I wanted to see.”

 

Yuuri’s stomach dropped. “If it’s about leaving the office in the middle of the day--”

 

“What? No, no, don’t worry about it. You’re a field mage, after all. Though I wish you had told someone first,” Miss Stern said pointedly.

 

“Sorry,” Yuuri apologized.

 

“Like I said, don’t worry about it. Now, what did you want to see me for? It’s not like you to come see me of your own accord,” she noted, taking a seat and gesturing for Yuuri to do the same.

 

“Oh, well,” Yuuri hesitated. Would Miss Stern even let him create a team of his own? She had never given him a mission; she knew exactly how inexperienced he was. “I wanted to make a team of my own.”

 

Her expression betrayed nothing as she said, “Okay.”

 

“Okay?”

 

“Yes. You’ve been sitting around this place for far too long. You need to get out and get some experience. Although I think it might interest you to know that you’ve been requested for a team already,” she said, picking up a folder from the side of her desk.

 

Yuuri swore his eyes almost popped out of his head. “I’ve been--who? Who requested me?” Who in the world would, he silently asked. Did Phichit have anything to do with this?

 

She set the folder in front of him, eyeing him carefully. It was an invasive sort of look, as though she were prying into his most private and vulnerable thoughts. He wasn’t used to it, per se, but it didn’t bother him as much as when he first arrived.

 

“Victor Nikiforov.”

 

Yuuri blinked once, twice. “What?”

 

“Victor Nikiforov. He’s the one that requested you.”

 


	2. In Darkness and in Light

“Yuuri, don’t make me repeat myself.”

 

“Right, sorry, I just--” Yuuri took a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m just having a hard time believing this, that’s all.”

 

“Clearly,” Miss Stern deadpanned. “In any event, I would recommend joining his team.”

 

“You would?”

 

She peered at him from across the desk, once again evoking that see-through feeling throughout Yuuri.

 

“You sound surprised,” she stated.

 

“Well--” Yuuri hesitated. How was he supposed to accuse her of never giving him a mission, or never recommending him for a team? Sagittarians weren’t known for their tact; in that case, at least, Yuuri was very much a Sagittarian.

 

“You’re perhaps wondering why I think you should join the team of one of the most prestigious mages when I’ve never given you an opportunity to gain experience beforehand? Please, Yuuri, don’t feel like you need to mince your words around me,” Miss Stern said, folding her hands in front of her.

 

Taken aback, Yuuri nodded. “Yes, I’ve been wondering that for some time now, I was just never sure how to ask.”

 

Miss Stern sighed, and for the first time displayed an expression that to Yuuri almost looked… concerned? It was a little unsettling; Miss Stern had always seemed unshakable. The idea that she was just as human as Yuuri seemed unreal.

 

“Yuuri, I’m going to be honest with you,” she began.

 

“You mean more honest than normal?” Yuuri suggested.

 

His quip elicited a small chuckle from her. “Good point. But first, I need to impress upon you the seriousness of what I’m about to tell you. The next words out of my mouth do not, under any circumstances, leave this room. Do you understand?”

 

Yuuri gulped. “Yes, I understand.”

 

For a moment, there was palpable silence. There was a clock somewhere in the office, steadily ticking the seconds away. The sound prodded at Yuuri. What could possibly so serious that it made Miss Stern of all people hesitate? Could Yuuri even handle it? She wouldn’t tell him if she thought he couldn’t, right? But what if he couldn’t, what if--

 

“I have the power of prophecy,” Miss Stern said softly.

 

Yuuri’s thoughts ground to a halt. Of all the celestial powers, the power of prophecy was perhaps the rarest, and the most highly coveted. As it was, it was a power only available to Sagittarians, of all signs. Pisceans had high intuition, certainly, and those born under Capricorn and Aquarius had an uncanny intelligence about them, but only Sagittarians had the potential to clearly see the future.

 

“Okay,” Yuuri started, trying to process this new information. “Why are you telling me this?”

 

“When I look at a person, I can choose to see their potential futures. Futures are bright and shining, brimming with possibilities. It’s like starting at a flame, really; entrancing, but not good for your eyes,” Miss Stern paused to laugh at her own joke. Yuuri remained still, eager to learn where she was going with this.

 

“When I look at you, however,” Miss Stern continued, her demeanor becoming drastically serious. “I see darkness. I can tell there’s something there, but it’s cloudy, and I can’t make anything of it.”

 

Yuuri felt like his head was spinning. “Does… does that mean I’m going to--”

 

“Everyone’s going to die one day Yuuri,” Miss Stern interrupted. “Yet they still have futures to look forward to.”

 

“So then why--”

 

“I don’t know,” Miss Stern told him a little loudly. She huffed, evidently frustrated by the fact. “I’ve only seen a couple other people with futures like that, but only from a distance. I have to admit, keeping you off the field was in part for selfish reasons. I wanted to see if I could figure out why your future was like that, if maybe it was because of the sort of person you are, you the magic you wield… I don’t have any reason other than perhaps particularly morbid theories…”

 

Yuuri couldn’t help but stare. Distantly he noted his phone buzzing in his pocket. Probably Phichit, who would also encourage Yuuri to join Victor’s team, if today’s training was anything to go by.

 

“But wait, what does any of this have to do with why I should joining Victor’s team? Not that I don’t want to, but…” Yuuri trailed off, shrugging.

 

“I may not be able to see your future, but I can still see others’. And when Victor Nikiforov walked into this office, I saw you in his future.”

 

If Yuuri’s magic had been more powerful, he was certain he would’ve burst into flames right then and there. He tried to rein himself in. People crossed paths all the time, and especially if Victor was requesting Yuuri to be part of his team (for whatever reason), it was inevitable that Yuuri would take some part in Victor’s future. It was a future shared by soon to be coworkers. That was all. 

 

“And so you’re encouraging me to join his team because--”

 

“I suppose “encouraging” isn’t the right word. It’s almost inevitable. Some way or other, Victor intends to have you go with him and his team on this upcoming mission. He has a powerful will, that one. And anyways, the possible futures in which you don’t go with him… They don’t end well. At least not as far as I can see.”

 

“And… how far can you see?” Yuuri ventured.

 

“It’s hard to say. Time is relative. Sometimes I see events that don’t come to fruition for years. Sometimes I see things that happen only seconds later,” Miss Stern explained.

 

A moment of silence passed between them. Yuuri was at a loss for words, opening and closing his mouth like a fish gasping for air. Miss Stern was no longer looking at him, instead acting as though her desk was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said suddenly. “I know none of this seems like it’s best for you, but--”

 

“I didn’t come here to be babied,” Yuuri interrupted. Miss Stern’s eyes widened in surprise, but Yuuri pressed on. “My intention has always been to help others, not myself. If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have bothered applying as a field mage in the first place. Star-touched mages have the power to change the world, and I’m not going to accomplish that by shuffling papers around.”

 

Miss Stern smiled. “Now that’s a spark I like to see,” she said. “You’ll accept the request then?”

 

“Yes,” Yuuri replied resolutely, taking the folder from the desk.

 

“Alright then. Just be careful. You can’t save the world if you’re dead, you know,” she told him.

 

Yuuri let out a hollow laugh. “Right.”

 

He got up to leave, clutching the folder tightly in his hand. He had just made it to the door when Miss Stern added, “Oh, and Yuuri?”

 

He turned to look at her.

 

“Don’t let anyone ever tell you you don’t have a fire in you.”

 

Yuuri nodded, a little confused, but pleased all the same by her words. Outside her office, the world different, almost surreal. A world in which almost everyone had the promise of potential futures… Everyone except Yuuri. His first thought as he slowly ambled down the hallway was that Phichit would blow his top when he told him all of this, but then he remembered: not a word of it was to be repeated to anyone else. He sighed; if he wasn’t careful, this new knowledge was going to eat away at him. 

 

His phone vibrated again, reminding him of the message he got while in Miss Stern’s office. Both that and the new message, as he suspected, were from Phichit.

 

The first message read:  _ “Yuuri! Hold up on the whole team-making thing, I got a request, but they still need a fire sign so I can see if they’ll request you too! They’re looking for people with good dynamics so if it’s both of us it should be no problem!! Then you won’t have to do any paperwork ;)” _

 

The newest message read:  _ “What’s taking you so loooooong?? Did you get my first message? Yuuuuuuri~” _

  
  


Yuuri typed out a message saying that they could talk at home. It was vague, but there was enough to discuss (outside the stuff he was forbidden to talk about) that sending it over text was just inconvenient. This earned him a flurry of texts in return, desperately asking for details, and why was Yuuri being so vague, and did something bad happen, and a myriad of other questions that Yuuri was simply too tired to answer via text message.

 

He dragged his feet all the way home, the folder a heavy presence in his hand. He knew what was in it, having put together folders of this type many times before. When a field mage wanted to create a team, they had to pull the profiles of their potential teammates from the public records and write up a compatibility analysis. It was tedious, but in theory ensured that potential teams had the best possible dynamics (if two or more potential teammates had negative compatibility, separate reports had to be written describing these points and how they could be overcome, if the team leader was so very intent on having such people on their team anyways). Once that was done, official requests were made, with the requested receiving a copy of the profiles and analysis. With that information, they could decide whether they wanted to join that team or not.

 

Yuuri didn’t have to look through the folder to know he wanted to join the team. Even without knowing who the other potential team members were, Yuuri very much wanted to be on the same team as Victor. He had already told Miss Stern as much, and very enthusiastically at that. Was that the best idea though? Miss Stern had told him it was, if not for himself then for others. And certainly, with her particular ability, she would know best, right? 

 

Still, Yuuri was anxious.

 

After all, could he ever measure up to someone like Victor? He had beat him in a simple match, but how serious had Victor been? A thought occurred to Yuuri that made him stop in his tracks; had Victor been testing him? Scoping out a potential teammate? Yuuri dismissed the thought. It took time to put together a folder for a potential team, and even longer to write an analysis for the compatibility of teammates as individuals and members of a group.

 

But then, Yuuri realized, that had to mean that Victor requested him beforehand. And then Yuuri’s mind buzzed with a single question: Why?

 

He started walking again, leaving the building that was the headquarters of the Boreus Astrum into the fading daylight. He took in a lungful of the cool air, trying to slow his racing thoughts. It didn’t work. He wanted to tear through the entire building until he found Victor so he could ask just why he’d wanted Yuuri of all people to join his team.

 

Looking at the folder in his hand, he reminded himself that he didn’t have to do something so drastic. He could just look at the analysis report that Victor himself wrote, and perhaps he would find some answers there. But something was stopping him from opening the folder right then and there. He wanted to, he so desperately wanted to know what Victor had written in regards to him. Another part of him, however, urged him to wait until he was home. It made sense to wait; if he got too caught up in his thoughts, he’d be standing in front of headquarters all night.

 

Eager to read the report, Yuuri hurried the rest of the way home. He and Phichit had been lucky enough to find an affordable apartment within walking distance of headquarters, but now the distance felt stretched out, moving underneath his feet as though he were in a dream determined to keep him from his goal.

 

Dramatics aside, Yuuri made it home quickly, finding the front door unlocked. Had he forgotten to lock it on his way out that morning? Or--

 

“Yuuri!” Phichit yelled, rushing him before he could even take off his shoes. “What was with that cryptic text? Not answering after? Did something happen? Something bad? Something good?”

 

“Phichit, please, let me breathe!” Yuuri insisted. “I got requested for a team!”

 

Phichit grinned hugely. “You did?! Was it the same team I was requested for? Oh man, this is going to be great, you and me, and those two other dudes, we’re gonna save the world--”

 

“No Phichit, it wasn’t your team,” Yuuri interrupted, suddenly feeling a little guilty. Had Phichit really been looking forward to being on a team with him? How badly would he be disappointed? Should Yuuri have refused Victor’s request after all?

 

But Phichit’s eyes grew wide with curiosity. “Who requested you?”

 

“You’d never believe me,” Yuuri told him, grasping the folder with both hands now.

 

“Try me,” Phichit challenged.

 

Yuuri took a deep breath. “Victor Nikiforov.”

 

Phichit rolled his eyes. “Yuuri. The guy came by and sparred with you personally. If you’re going to say I won’t believe something, at least throw me something I legitimately won’t believe.”

 

“But he’s--”

 

“I know, I know,” Phichit started, walking out towards the living room while Yuuri kicked off his shoes. “He’s the most prestigious mage of an equally prestigious organization, a spearhead for humanitarian efforts, good-looking, your sun, moon, and stars--”

 

“Phichit please,” Yuuri interjected, feeling his face grow hot.

 

“I’m just saying,” Phichit said with a shrug as he flopped down onto the couch.

 

“Well you can stop saying.”

 

An awkward silence passed between them before Phichit asked, “So who else did he request for the team?”

 

“Ah…” Yuuri trailed off, fidgeting with the folder.

 

“You seriously didn’t look yet?”

 

“I wanted to wait until I got home,” Yuuri explained.

 

“Come on then, let’s see it!” Phichit urged, excitedly patting a spot on the couch next to him.

 

Yuuri plopped himself down on the couch, holding out the folder in front of them as though in awe. He stared at it, not sure if he was ready yet. Maybe he should make dinner first--?

 

“Yuuri, come on, I’m dying over here,” Phichit chirped, lightly slapping Yuuri’s shoulder with excitement.

 

With no other alternative, Yuuri flipped open the folder. The first paper (which he had known would be first), was the team leader’s profile, Victor’s profile. Yuuri wanted to linger, but he didn’t want to give Phichit more ammunition to tease him with. So he flipped to the next profile, detailing a man named Christophe Giacometti.

 

They’d heard of him, of course. Within the Boreus Astrum he was almost as famous as Victor, though for quite different reasons. According to his profile, he was born under Aquarius, and was thus ruled by Uranus. Rather than using the traditional weapon of Aquarian (an elegant rapier), Christophe apparently chose to utilize the magic granted to him by the influence of Uranus. That is, he could use small bursts of electrical power to either augment his movements or add an extra sting to his attacks. For this purpose, he had a pair of specially crafted gloves to insulate himself against his own magic.

 

“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” Phichit noted once he had read through the whole profile. 

 

“No kidding. And he’s an air sign, so in theory his movements are already pretty quick. Add electricity to that…” Yuuri mused, thoroughly intrigued.

 

“Okay, okay, who’s the other one?” Phichit urged, and Yuuri turned the page before he could get too excited.

 

“Yuri Plisetsky, huh?” Phichit read aloud. “Do you think Victor did that on purpose?”

 

“I hope not,” Yuuri muttered, reading over the profile.

 

This Yuri was the youngest of the group by a few years, and was born under Pisces. Yuuri thought his profile picture made him look particularly angry for a water sign. Must’ve been a bad day, he supposed. Ruled by Neptune, his magic consisted of powerful hydrokinetic abilities. He wielded the traditional Piscean weapon, a trident. Overall, his profile was not as dazzling as Christophe’s, but then, being so young, he couldn’t have been a mage of the Boreus Astrum for much longer than Yuuri. Perhaps this would be his first mission too. The thought was rather reassuring to Yuuri.

 

“So Victor’s going for an elder square type team then, it looks like,” Phichit mused.

 

“Oh,” Yuuri started. “I guess you’re right.”

 

It wasn’t entirely unheard of to group together the signs based on their position in the procession of the Zodiac. In fact, as far as traditional teams went, it was rather common to see teams of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer, as well as those of Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio. Between the influence of the stars and their respective ruling planets, the power was fairly well balanced in such teams.

 

With the elder signs, as Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces were known, the power was not always so balanced. Their celestial magic was suited more for precision than power, which could leave a team lacking. Certainly their ruling planets, being the largest planets in the solar system, granted them immense secondary powers, but not everyone was able to access those abilities. Yuuri, for instance, was ruled by Jupiter. In theory, he could summon powerful bolts of lightning, but he had never actually been able to do it (perhaps because he had never actually wanted to do it; there was never any reason for him to summon that much raw power). His was not a wholly unusual case among the elder signs, which meant that a team consisting entirely of elder signs was not especially practical.

 

“I’m sure he knows what he’s doing,” Yuuri said after a moment, closing the folder.

 

“Whoa there, hold on,” Phichit yelped. “We haven’t read the analysis reports yet!”

 

Yuuri fidgeted with the folder as Phichit stared him down, unsure of his own reluctance. Before he could make a decision either way, however, Phichit suddenly grinned mischievously.

 

“What? What are you smiling for?” Yuuri demanded.

 

“I get it, you want to be alone when you read what Victor wrote about you,” Phichit accused, his expression morphing into something that was downright impish.

 

“What?! I--no, that’s--” Yuuri sputtered, trying to deny it even though Phichit had hit the nail on the head.

 

“Yuuri, I want to know too! I want to know if Victor has been secretly harboring his affection from afar this whole time--”

 

“Phichit!” Yuuri shrieked as he grabbed a cushion off the sofa and began to beat Phichit with it.

 

“Maybe this is all an elaborate ruse--!” Phichit shouted between his laughter and Yuuri’s attacks. “--to confess his undying lo--”

 

“Stop, stop, stop! Let--it--go!” Yuuri demanded, punctuating each word with a solid whack with the couch cushion.

 

“I will when you do!”

 

They screamed at each other like that for a while, with Phichit eventually deciding that he wasn’t going to take this abuse lying down as he grabbed a couch cushion in each hand to begin his retaliation. Yuuri shouted that he was a cheater, but Phichit paid him no heed as beat Yuuri into submission.

 

“Wait, wait, Phichit wait I’m getting a phone call!” Yuuri laughed as Phichit pinned him down and pummeled him mercilessly. “Phichit!”

 

Phichit stopped hitting him with the cushions, but remained seated firmly atop Yuuri. He had no choice but to answer the call from an unknown number while still pinned down.

 

“This is Yuuri Katsuki,” he answered, still breathing heavily.

 

“Yuuri! Hi! I hope I didn’t call at a bad time?” Victor’s voice asked from the other end.

 

Yuuri began furiously smacking Phichit to get him off of him as he replied, “No, no, you’re fine--it’s fine. It’s not a bad time. What’s--what’s up?”

 

“Is it Victor?” Phichit whispered, having not budged from where he was.

 

“I just got the news that you’ve accepted the request to be part of my team! And just in time too, because we’ve just been assigned our first mission as a team,” Victor informed him.

 

“Really? So soon?”

 

“Yes, they don’t leave me alone for too long, and now that I’m part of a team, you and the others won’t be able to sit still for long either, unfortunately. We’ll need to leave as soon as possible; can you meet us in front of headquarters tomorrow morning around six?” Victor asked.

 

“I can do that, yes,” Yuuri answered. “What’s the mission?”

 

“I’ll explain tomorrow morning. Just make sure you pack a bag for a couple weeks. The nature of this mission is such that we don’t know when we’ll be coming back.”

 

“Okay,” Yuuri said. “I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow morning then?”

 

“See you then,” Victor said cheerily.

 

Yuuri hung up, and let his hand fall to the ground.

 

“It was Victor, wasn’t it?” Phichit asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What was he calling for?” Phichit persisted.

 

“We have a mission.”

 

“Already? When do you leave?”

 

“Tomorrow morning.”

 

“What! That’s so soon!” Phichit whined, finally getting off of Yuuri.

 

“Yeah. He said he give us the details about the mission tomorrow, but he said we don’t know how long we’ll be away,” Yuuri explained as he sat up.

 

“Jeez… makes you wonder just what sort of mission it is,” Phichit mused.

 

“Don’t get me started, I want to actually sleep tonight.”

 

“Right, right, and you still need to pack too… Do you want any help packing?”

 

“No, I don’t need help, but you can keep me company  _ if  _ you don’t talk about Victor!” Yuuri stipulated.

 

“Well then I guess this is goodbye for who knows how long, my dear Yuuri,” Phichit lamented.

 

Phichit kept him company anyways, and continued to tease Yuuri mercilessly, claiming it was his duty as his best friend. It wasn’t until Yuuri demanded that Phichit tell him about the mission he had just gone on that he let the subject of Victor drop, and they ended up staying up far later than they should’ve.

 

Even after Phichit had left to let him sleep, Yuuri’s nerves were alight with anxious energy. He was finally part of a team, finally going on a mission; would he be able to handle it? Both Victor and Chris were leagues above him, skill wise. Yuri Plisetsky probably was too, if Victor chose him personally. But that still left the question: Why did Victor choose Yuuri, of all people?

 

He had yet to ret the compatibility report, and now that he had delayed so many times, he wasn’t sure he wanted to anymore (that was a lie, he absolutely did). But what exactly was he expecting to read? Certainly not what Phichit had suggested. There was no way he would want that. None at all. It wouldn’t even be reasonable, it wouldn’t make sense. Not to mention how unprofessional that would be. He was certain Victor would never do something like that.

 

Unable to sleep, Yuuri flipped on his lamp and grabbed the folder from his desk. He opened it, and lingered on the first page. The picture that accompanied Victor’s profile was professional, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips, a certain something in his eyes that implied that there was something more to him than the cool persona he presented to the world. 

 

Shaking his head, Yuuri continued to the compatibility analysis. He started with himself and the younger Yuri. Pisces and Sagittarius. As a water sign and fire sign respectively, they were naturally at odds. Or so one would initially think, according to what Victor had written. He pointed out that Pisces had once been ruled by Jupiter as well, and that the connection, although old, might prove advantageous. He also wrote that Yuuri’s more mellow nature would help to balance Yuri’s passionate and often aggressive tendencies (so his picture wasn’t just a bad day? He had a tendency for aggression? And Victor expected Yuuri to mellow him out?!).

 

He moved on to the compatibility between himself and Christophe. As an air sign and a fire sign, they were naturally inclined to get on well. Victor had written, however, that Chris’s insistent nature might prove to be too much for Yuuri, bordering on overwhelming. Magic-wise though, it was a good match, and Victor was confident that they could overcome any clashes in their personalities to perform great feats together.

 

Yuuri hesitated before turning the page to the analysis between himself and Victor. There was really no reason to, after all, he told himself time and again that Victor hardly knew him, so he wouldn’t possibly say anything that would be out of place in a professional analysis. But then, Yuuri had thought that Victor had never even looked at Yuuri until their match-up earlier that day, when in reality he must’ve noticed Yuuri sooner than that.

 

He turned the page. As he had tried convincing himself, the report read like the others. Professional and succinct. Victor was an earth sign and Yuuri a fire sign, at first glance incompatible. Generally, the cautious and detailed Capricorn would be at odds with the carefree and spirited Sagittarius. In this case, Victor wrote, Yuuri’s mellow nature would suit him just fine, and Victor himself was of an open mind, and did not tend to get stuck on one particular plan like other earth signs might.

 

Having read all the reports, Yuuri felt a little… dissatisfied. The emphasis was on his subdued nature. Was that all Victor saw in him? He shook his head before his thoughts carried him away. Of course Victor wouldn’t see more in him, he couldn’t have been watching him for very long. 

 

Regardless, it didn’t feel like a proper answer to Yuuri’s question: why had Victor chosen him? Was it really for the reasons detailed in the report? Was there really more to it, or was Yuuri just getting his hopes up?

 

He tossed the folder back on his desk, and flopped back into bed without turning off the light. He could do this. He wouldn’t let any… unprofessional feelings hold him back. Yuuri buried his face in his pillow, embarrassed even though he was alone.

 

It wasn’t as though admiring Victor was a terrible thing. Yuuri was certain plenty of people felt the same way. Not to mention, there were worse people to admire. No, what was embarrassing was the fact that, as Phichit had casually pointed out earlier, Yuuri couldn’t seem to get over it. But now he was going to go on a mission with Victor, he would be in close proximity for weeks potentially. He had no choice but to get over it. 

 

With nothing better to do than go in circles with his thoughts, Yuuri’s mind wandered to ten months prior, when he had already been with the Boreus Astrum for two months. The new year had just begun, and thick snow blanketed the city. Yuuri had hated it. He’d grown up in a more southward region, and while he’d gotten some snow in his childhood home, it had been nowhere near the level this city got.

 

_ “You’re a fire sign, they say, you can warm yourself up no problem,” Yuuri muttered through the heavy scarf that covered half his face. He swore softly as he felt the cold seep through his boots and soak his socks. _

 

_ He kicked at the snow, frustrated. Those who had lived in the area for some time already had warned him of the harsh winters the city was subject to, but had he listened? Of course not. How could bad could winter possibly get? Even if it did get bad, his supervisors would surely have the sense to give everyone the day off, right? _

 

_ Wrong. So very wrong. _

 

_ And so Yuuri was trudging through almost knee deep snow first thing in the morning, all because he apparently had no clue what real winters were like. He had strongly considered calling in sick. After all, a day like this ought to be enjoyed in a proper winter fashion. That is, Yuuri wanted to play outside until he was chilled to the bone, and then relax inside, warm and cozy, with a nice cup of tea. But being relatively new to the organization, Yuuri felt it would reflect badly on him if he skipped out for no good reason. _

 

_ Apparently though, there were many who followed through with that very idea. Headquarters was devoid of people, which made it seem much colder than it really was. Phichit, who had strongly argued for staying at home, was rightly upset. In fact, when they found hardly anyone else at work that day, he insisted they make their way back home before anyone saw them. _

 

_ Unfortunately, someone did see them before they could make their escape, a particularly strict supervisor who set them to a series to tasks for the sole purpose of keeping them busy. They cleaned offices, swept and mopped hallways, took out trash, and all the while Phichit whined that if Yuuri could just learn to chill once in a while they wouldn’t be doing this. _

 

_ They had been set to shovelling snow when Yuuri finally got sick of Phichit’s griping. He waited until Phichit wasn’t looking his way to scoop up a handful of snow and hurl it towards him with as much force as he could muster. _

 

_ “How’s that for chill?” he challenged when Phichit whipped around with a face that expressed the utmost betrayal. _

 

_ “Oh it is on!” Phichit shouted, reaching down to pack some snow together. _

 

_ Thus began a glorious snowball fight. It was a memory Yuuri would look back on fondly. He had no idea how long they’d been at it, but he would never forget how it ended. He had been running to avoid Phichit’s onslaught (getting hit by his snowballs  _ hurt _ ). He had been so focused that he didn’t notice anyone or anything around him. That being so, he didn’t notice the patch of ice until it was already under his feet. _

 

_ It was the set up for quite a spectacular fall. His feet slipped right out from under him, and Yuuri braced for the pain, but it never came. Instead, a strong pair of arms caught him from behind, warm and reassuring. His first thought was that Phichit had caught up to him somehow, but when he twisted around to look, he realized with a gasp that that was definitely not the case. _

 

_ “Careful,” Victor had warned him. “You could hurt yourself like that.” _

 

_ “Ah, right, thanks,” Yuuri stammered, taken aback by how this stranger seemed to glow in the wintery landscape. “I’m normally more careful than this.” _

 

_ “I’m sure. Anyone would get carried away having so much fun though,” Victor replied.  _

 

_ Something about his expression seemed a little melancholic to Yuuri, and he couldn’t help the next words that escaped his mouth, “You want to join us?” _

 

_ Victor seemed taken aback by the question, and Yuuri realized how childish he sounded. He scrambled out of Victor’s grasp, apologizing for asking something so silly. It was at that moment that the strict supervisor found them, and scolded both him and Phichit for goofing off. By the time he had deemed them sufficiently chewed out, Victor had gone, but Yuuri’s curiosity regarding him had stayed. _

 

_ “Someone’s moony-eyed,” Phichit had teased when he noticed Yuuri acting a little spacey afterwards. _

 

_ “What? No, I’m just… curious,” Yuuri had countered. _

 

_ “Curious? About what?” Phichit asked. _

 

_ “Well, who he is, for starters--” _

 

_ “You’re telling me you don’t know who that was?!” Phichit exclaimed. _

 

_ “Should I?” _

 

_ “Dude,” Phichit told him. “That’s Victor Nikiforov. He’s like, THE mage of the Boreus Astrum. Super powerful magic, super radical skills; he’s basically the poster child for this place. You’re telling me you’ve seriously never heard of him?” _

 

_ Yuuri had in fact heard of him, but had no idea what he looked like. When he realized that that was the person who had so casually saved him from a potential injury, he made the mistake of mentioning to Phichit how unfair it was that someone was that talented and good-looking and kind. Phichit, being the ever dutiful friend he was, never let it go. _

 

It was like something out of a romance movie. Cheesy and completely unprecedented, something Yuuri had thought would never happen to him. But over time his curiosity grew into interest, interest into admiration, and admiration into… Well…

 

Yuuri hated to admit it, but he was definitely head over heels for Victor. And he was about to go on a mission with him. He was determined to be able to handle it. He had to be able to, especially if Miss Stern’s cautionary words were anything to go by. If Victor’s future was essentially doomed without him, then Yuuri, shrouded in darkness, would do whatever it took to bring forth the light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fun stuff that wasn't in the original draft. Fun, right? I'm certainly having fun. I hope you guys are having fun seeing how drastically different the story is already. Once again, many thanks to the wonderful Rendevok for being the most fantastic beta a person could ask for, and thank you all, my wonderful readers, for being patient and supportive as I get this story back to where we were.


	3. Event Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I know I said I wanted to rewrite the first four chapters within the week, but I've been getting babysitting job after babysitting job. It's hard to work around needy babies, props to all the moms that do it. Anyways, without further ado, here is the new and improved chapter 3!!

Yuuri was late.

 

Yuuri was so outrageously, unbelievably late it wasn’t even funny. He was surprised Victor hadn’t called demanding to know where he was by now. What if he didn’t bother calling? What if he just dropped Yuuri from the team without a second thought and Yuuri didn’t find out until he got there? What if--

 

Patting himself down for the third time to make sure he had everything he needed, Yuuri shook the thoughts from his head. He was blowing this out of proportion, he told himself. It was a miracle he woke up five minutes after six without having set an alarm in the first place. It was now almost ten after the hour, and having foregone breakfast, Yuuri was almost ready to go. If he ran, he could make it there by six-twenty; it was late, but it could be worse, he told himself.

 

He was about to pat himself down a fourth time (he felt like he was forgetting something), when Phichit meandered into the living room and paused. He checked the time, and looked back at Yuuri, his expression mildly questioning.

 

“I know,” Yuuri said before Phichit could even ask.

 

“Well at least I can give you a quick goodbye, right?” Phichit offered, holding his arms out.

 

Yuuri hurried into the embrace, saying, “I’ll text you as soon as I can.”

 

“You’d better,” Phichit told him as Yuuri hurried out the door. “Go get ‘em firecracker!”

 

Without another word Yuuri sprinted down the sidewalk, feet pounding loudly against the concrete. The cool autumn air rushed past his cheeks but did nothing to soothe his overheated nerves. His eyes burned, his whole body ached; he had stayed up much longer than he had intended, and now he was paying for it. 

 

‘Please don’t kick me off the team, please don’t kick me off the team--’ Yuuri repeated with every footstep.

 

The entrance of the headquarters finally came into view, along with Victor. Yuuri’s stomach churned uncomfortably at the sight of him with two other people (or maybe that was the lack of breakfast coupled with a desperate run). He tacked on ‘please don’t see me before I get there,’ to his mantra as he approached.

 

Things, it seemed, were determined not to go Yuuri’s way. Victor noticed him well before he reached the group, and started waving enthusiastically, bringing him to the attention of the other team members. More than anything right now, Yuuri wanted to summon a bolt of lightning upon himself, disintegrating his entire self immediately.

 

“Yuuri, hi!” Victor greeted as soon as he was within earshot.

 

“Sorry--overslept--alarm--didn’t--” Yuuri wheezed, doubled over in an attempt to get air in his lungs. Another reason he hated the cold. It was absolute torture on his lungs.

 

“I told you there was only room for one ‘Yuri’ on the team!” a particularly angry voice commented. Yuuri looked, and saw Yuri Plisetsky glaring at him in much the same way he’d been glaring in his profile picture.

 

“Now, now, little Yuri--” the other team member, Christophe, began to appeal.

 

“Do not call me ‘little Yuri’,” Yuri spat.

 

“We’ll figure it out later, but right now we have a train that we absolutely must catch,” Victor announced. He turned to Yuuri, who had just started breathing normally. “Are you up for another run?”

 

Yuuri was in fact not up for another run, but he didn’t see how he had much choice in the matter. Not to mention he was the reason that they had to run in the first place, so he figured he had it coming. Mostly, he was just thankful that Victor had apparently deemed it unnecessary to immediately boot him off the team (but of course he wouldn’t, the rational part of Yuuri realized; choosing a new member for a team took more time. If they had a mission currently, there was no time to find and request a new team member).

 

The train station wasn’t much farther from headquarters than his home was, but Yuuri’s lungs were screaming by the time they made it to the train Victor said they would be boarding. It was embarrassing, really, to feel like he was dying when the others looked only mildly bothered (and then there was Victor, who actually looked refreshed). He tried his best to act like the run was only a mild inconvenience as the shuffled down the aisle looking for an empty compartment.

 

When they finally found one, they plopped into their seats gratefully. A moment of silence passed between the newly formed group as the train pulled out of the station.Yuri still looked irritated, Christophe looked as though he knew something amusing that Yuuri didn’t, and Victor looked… unreadable. Yuuri hoped he didn’t look as nervous as he felt, having unintentionally seated himself next to Victor.

 

“Now then,” Victor started. “Introductions?”

 

“What for, we all got the same profiles of each other, what more do we need to know?” Yuri growled, crossing his arms.

 

“Well, for starters, I prefer to be called Chris, rather than Christophe,” Chris commented. “Not to mention we need to figure out how to tell the difference between you two.”

 

“You could just call me by my last name…?” Yuuri suggested.

 

“No, no,” Chris dismissed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I am rather attached to ‘little Yuri’...”

 

“I told you not to call me that!” Yuri yelled. “And anyways there are more important things, like what our mission actually is?”

 

He eyed Victor sharply as he said this, his scowl becoming more and more pronounced. Yuuri thought that if Yuri didn’t relax eventually, he would end up extremely wrinkled one day.

 

“Alright, alright,” Victor conceded, pulling out a heavy stack of papers from his bag. “It has to do with the Order of Ophiuchus.”

 

“What about them?” Yuri asked as Victor divided the stack of papers and handed a portion to each member.

 

“I’m sure you all know just how much trouble they’ve been causing on their own, but it seems they’re getting some help now.” He showed them a picture. “Unnatural help.”

 

Yuuri peered at the picture, trying to make sense of it. It had a poor, grainy quality to it, and many of the features were blurred. Likely taken from one of the recent attacks, it showed an anonymous street in chaos. At least one building was on fire, glass littered the sidewalks, and there were several masked cult members pictured. But the most unusual thing was at the center of the photo. The best Yuuri could describe it was that someone had punched a hole through the fabric of reality itself, straight through the earth and into the depths of space.

 

“What is that?” Yuuri asked.

 

“We don’t know,” Victor answered. “All we know is that whatever it is, it’s sentient.”

 

“It’s sentient?!” Chris exclaimed. “I thought it was just a hole to toss people and things into, like maybe a wormhole of some sort.”

 

Victor shook his head. “It’s some sort of creature that sometimes accompanies the Order on their raids. It’s very good at providing distraction so the Order can kidnap who they please, as it’s incredibly difficult to defeat.”

 

“So what does that have to do with us?” Yuri questioned sharply.

 

“We need to find this creature and find out more about it. Where it came from, what it is exactly… Ultimately our goal is to bring it down, but we need information on it in case the Order has more than one,” Victor explained.

 

“Seems easy enough,” Yuri huffed, slumping back in his seat.

 

Yuuri wondered just how capable Yuri was to say something so confident so flippantly. Yuuri himself was a little intimidated by the creature that looked so out of place in this reality. It sent shivers down his spine. What sort of thoughts did a creature like that even have? From where would it come? Were they taking on a mission that was bigger than they could possibly imagine? A mission of cosmic proportions where--

 

His stomach growled loudly, rudely reminding him of the breakfast he’s skipped. The others looked at him, and Yuuri wanted nothing more than to sink into his seat and disappear until they made it to their stop. But then Victor laughed, and Yuuri couldn’t help but grin sheepishly.

 

“Sounds like you need some food after a run like that. Come on, let’s go to the dining car. Chris, little Yuri--”

 

“Don’t call me that.”

 

“--Do you guys want to come with?” Victor finished asking without regard to Yuri’s objection.

 

“No,” Yuri said immediately, plugging his headphones into his phone and effectively tuning out.

 

“No thanks,” Chris declined. “I’ll babysit the angry kitten while you two are away.”

 

“What did you call me?!” Yuri shrieked suddenly.

 

“Oh, so you can hear me?” Chris teased.

 

Yuuri and Victor shuffled out of the compartment as Chris continued to rile up Yuri. Yuuri was certain that if they weren’t careful, little Yuri would likely explode on them.

 

As they were walking down the aisle of the car, Yuuri became acutely aware of the fact that he was essentially alone with Victor. But it didn’t mean anything, they were just going to get something to eat. Just the two of them. Alone. Together.

 

“Ah, I’m sorry for being late this morning,” Yuuri apologized suddenly. Nothing derailed such hopeful thoughts as quickly as guilt.

 

Victor a waved a hand airily at him. “Don’t worry about it. We made it to our train on time, so it’s no big deal.”

 

“But we had to run to get here on time--”

 

Victor turned on his heel abruptly, giving Yuuri little time to stop before crashing into him. As it was, Yuuri ended up much closer to Victor than he ever imagined he would be. Close enough to feel the puff of Victor’s breath on his face, close enough that he could count the long, pale eyelashes that fluttered so beautifully. He stepped away quickly as Victor sighed deeply.

 

“Yuuri, trust me when I say it’s okay,” Victor assured him. “Try not to linger on things that are in the past, okay?”

 

Yuuri nodded, and Victor gave him a small smile before turning around and continuing their way to the dining car. With nothing else to say, Yuuri felt more than a little awkward following Victor on their way. He hoped that with time he could talk to Victor like another person.

 

They arrived and ate in relative silence. For most of the time, Yuuri kept his attention towards the window, watching the scenery speed by. He thought that he felt Victor’s eyes on him, but had to convince himself that he was simply imagining things.

 

At some point he realized that this was the perfect moment to ask Victor directly why he had chosen Yuuri, of all people, to join his team. But even as the temptation bubbled up to the surface and urged him to simply say it, Yuuri was hesitant. Why did he need to know so badly? There couldn’t be anything more than what had been on the compatibility analysis. They hardly knew each other, after all.

 

“Yuuri,” Victor started, interrupting Yuuri’s train of thoughts. “I’m wondering. Why did you become a mage?”

 

“Ah,” Yuuri wasn’t sure how to reply, given the abruptness of the question.

 

“Were you just doing what was expected of you?” Victor asked, eyes betraying nothing.

 

“No!” Yuuri emphasized. “I don’t think anyone expected me to become a mage, much less one of the Boreus Astrum…”

 

“Really? So why did you become one then?” Victor asked again, resting his chin on his hand.

 

“It might… sound a little silly,” Yuuri offered. He’d tell Victor if he insisted; hopefully he didn’t.

 

“I insist.”

 

Yuuri swore internally as he sighed. “Well… you remember all those old stories about how star touched people came to be?”

 

Victor nodded.

 

He took another deep breath. “They were my favorite as a kid. Especially the part where they emphasize the fact that star touched have the power to change the world. My magic’s never been all that good, but I’m still star touched, so when I was a kid I thought--”

 

Yuuri stopped abruptly, clapping a hand over his mouth. He had hoped that the matter of his magic would never come up, but here he was, telling Victor all about it. Victor was smiling, but what sort of smile was it? Happy? A mask to hide concern? Amused?

 

“You thought what?” Victor prodded.

 

“Thought that I could still do something. Something world changing. I… never had a clear idea of what exactly I would do, but I figured whatever it was, I’d know it when I saw it. Like I said, it sounds kind of silly, and like I said my magic isn’t all that good, so, I mean, what could I possibly--”

 

“Yuuri, calm down,” Victor interrupted. “I’m sure you’re not as bad with magic as you think. Besides, who said it was their magic that would allow them to change the world?”

 

Yuuri blinked at him. “I… never thought of it that way.”

 

“Most people don’t,” Victor said with a smile. “Are you done? Let’s get back to the others, yeah?”

 

The walk back brought another bout of silence. The compartment was equally silent, as Yuri had sought to escape Chris by leaving the compartment. Settling back into his seat, Yuuri figured now would be the best time to text Phichit. He reached into his back pocket, and felt his stomach flip when he found it empty.

 

He checked his other pockets. Nothing. He checked his bag and all its side pockets. Still no luck. Hoping the other two didn’t notice his frantic search, Yuuri sat back in his seat. They didn’t need to know he’d forgotten his phone. Or had he lost it on the way? No, no, that had to be the reason he’d felt like he’d been forgetting something this morning.

 

“Something wrong there, Yuuri?” Chris asked, chuckling.

 

“No, no, everything’s fine,” Yuuri insisted.

 

“Yuuri,” Victor drawled, leaning dangerously close into Yuuri’s personal space. “We’re a team now, we need to be honest and open with each other. You should tell us if there’s something wrong.”

 

“Yeah, honesty is the best policy. For example, do you have a lover currently?” Chris ventured; did he ever stop teasing?

 

“I don’t see how that’s relevant right now!” Yuuri deflected, still very aware of just how close Victor was. “As for what’s wrong I, uh… I forgot my phone…”

 

“You forgot your phone?!” Chris exclaimed over Yuuri’s immediate apologies.

 

“Wow,” Victor laughed. “And here I thought it was something serious.”

 

“Of course it’s serious! What if we get separated and I’m not able to contact you?” Yuuri insisted, absolutely baffled by how flippant they were acting about this.

 

“So then just don’t get separated from those of us with a phone,” Chris suggested, as though this was the easiest thing in the world.

 

Yuuri huffed, and began to check his bag and pockets for other important things. His wallet, toiletries, his arrows, his bow; thankfully it seemed that he’d remembered everything else. Unfortunately, without his phone, Yuuri had a lot of time to sit around and do nothing, and Victor had mentioned that the train ride would take the majority of the day. He could only walk up and down the length of the train so many times.

 

As their compartment lulled into a comfortable silence (even when Yuri returned), Yuuri found himself impossibly bored. Several times he wished he was sitting next to the window; as it was, Victor had the window seat, and Yuuri would much rather be bored out of his mind than have anyone think he’s staring at Victor instead of out the window.

 

Eventually, he pulled out one of his arrows and a pen and began to doodle. Sometimes he worried that other people might find it weird, but at this point if he didn’t do something he was going to fall asleep, and he didn’t want to accidentally lean over onto Victor.

 

“What are you doing?” Yuri asked, startling Yuuri.

 

“Just drawing on my arrows,” Yuuri replied quietly.

 

“Why? Aren’t you just going to lose them as soon as you use them?”

 

“Not necessarily,” Yuuri explained. “I’m a short range archer, so it’s a lot more likely I’ll be able to recover my arrows.”

 

“Short range archer? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of archery in the first place?” Yuri inquired.

 

“Archery doesn’t need to be strictly long range. A bow and arrow is actually a lot more versatile than you’d think. You just need to learn to use it right.”

 

Yuri made a hum of acknowledgement, and ceased to question him. Yuuri almost breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn’t been sure how long Yuri would be mad at him for being late, but it seemed he’d gotten over it. He returned to detailing his arrow. It was currently his favorite one, the design evolving into a myriad of coiling vines and blooming flowers.

 

“So why do you draw on your arrows?” Victor asked suddenly.

 

Yuuri shrugged. “It’s relaxing, I guess. It started when my friend drew a little smiley face on all my arrows one day. Before that it’d never occurred to me that I could do something to really make them my own, you know?”

 

He smiled at the memory of the smiley faces. Yuuri had been feeling particularly low one week, so Phichit had taken it upon himself to try to cheer him up. They’d only been friends for a few months, and yet Phichit already knew that Yuuri was not one for anything flashy or overt, so he’d silently drawn some smiley faces on Yuuri’s arrows. At first, Yuuri didn’t know what to make of the tiny smiles under the arrowheads; his main question was why they were there at all. But his confusion gave way to laughter, and his mood was lifted to something lighter, happier as he realized it didn’t matter what his arrows looked like, they could take out any enemy just the same.

 

“That is probably the sappiest shit I have ever heard,” Yuri said, rolling his eyes.

 

“I think it’s very sweet,” Chris added, likely only to irk Yuri even more, Yuuri noted.

 

Victor opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the train gave a violent shudder and then stopped completely. Yuuri scowled, the stop having caused him to make a crooked line in his intricate design. The lights flickered above them and his indignance was replaced by mild dread. He stood and looked out of their compartment to see many others doing the same.

 

The train abruptly lurched to the side, throwing Yuuri back into the compartment. Victor caught him before he crashed into the window, his blue eyes suddenly cold and steely.

 

“I’m going to go see what’s going on,” Victor said, gently pushing Yuuri back into his seat.

 

“I’m coming with you,” Yuri stated, standing up suddenly, trident in hand.

 

“Yuri, no, stay here,” Victor dismissed, striding out of the compartment before Yuri could protest.

 

Yuri whipped around to the other two. “We’re going with him.”

 

“Why? He’s the team leader, we ought to listen to him,” Chris reasoned.

 

“We need to go with him,” Yuri insisted, practically vibrating with restless energy.

 

He turned to Yuuri, but didn’t say anything. Chris looked too, as if somehow this was all up to him. The train tilted the opposite direction, almost tossing Yuri out of the compartment. This wasn’t the time for indecisiveness, he knew, but then, it wasn’t really up to him to make decisions like this. Chris had already pointed out that Victor was the leader, and according to procedure, his word was final. And after all, he was a competent mage on his own. But there was the fact that he had to be in contact with the ground to work any magic. And then there was a certain look in Yuri’s eyes, a certain crease in his brow that made Yuuri think there was more to his restlessness than just a desire to prove himself.

 

The train shook a third time. Yuuri shot up from his seat, grabbing his bow and arrows as he did.

 

“We’re going.”

 

Chris shrugged, and got up to follow them as they made their way out of the compartment. They were ready to walk the length of the train when Chris called for them to stop.

 

“We’re going--!” Yuri started.

 

“Yes, but at this point we’d probably have to shove our way through a train full of people,” Chris pointed out. He gestured towards the emergency exit on the roof of the train car. “I have a better idea.”

 

And that was how they found themselves on top of the train, looking down towards the front in complete shock.

 

“No way…” Yuuri breathed.

 

“Whoa, cool,” Yuri said.

 

“In a manner of speaking,” Chris added.

 

At the front of the train, moving at once erratically and sluggishly, like something out of a dream, was the very object of their mission. It was more unnerving in person. It didn’t look like something that could, or even should, be touched, as far as Yuuri was concerned. All his basic instincts screamed at him to either run as far away from it as he possibly could or kill it with fire. Yuuri wasn’t entirely certain which he would rather do when he spied Victor slowly approaching it from atop a car closer to the front.

 

He pointed this out to the others, who seemed to agree that they ought to immediately provide backup for Victor, who had no weapon drawn and no way to perform any magic. They hopped from car to car, steadily approaching Victor and the shadowy creature.

 

As they did, Yuuri noted that the creature was pacing back and forth across the tracks as though agitated. Had it been resting when the train approached, or was it simply bothered by anything that moved? What sort of thoughts did a creature like that have, anyways? Victor had said it was sentient, but just how far did that go?

 

They were one car away from Victor when the beast decided to take out its aggravation on the train again, ramming its entire form at it while Yuuri was mid-jump in between cars. His landing suddenly slanted, Yuuri felt his ankle twist and slip out from underneath him. His head slammed into the roof, and the next thing Yuuri knew he was gasping for breath on his back on the ground.

 

Dazed and desperate for air, Yuuri supposed he must’ve shouted, or made some sort of ruckus, because in the blink of an eye his view changed from a blue sky to a deep, dark void. He had to do something, he knew he did, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, he could barely register the shouting around him, just an insistent ringing.

 

Yuuri barely registered the vines that coiled around the creature as he finally managed to suck in a lungful of air. His vision sharpened, and without another moment to lose, he fired an arrow straight into the void. It disappeared into the darkness, and Yuuri wondered if it had had any effect at all, if he had perhaps loosed an arrow for nothing when it reappeared, free falling back to him. He caught it by the shaft, and rolled out from under the creature.

 

“Yuuri, are you okay?” Victor yelled from the other side of the shadow beast.

 

“I’m fine!” Yuuri assured him.

 

He eyed the beast, now immobilized by Victor’s magic (so he could summon a large amount at once, Yuuri noted distantly). It strained against the coils, vaguely reminding Yuuri of a trapped insect with the way it moved. A very large insect.

 

He watched as Yuri vaulted off the top of the train, trident raised high. He brought the weapon down in a broad sweep, using gravity to add extra power to his attack. The part of the creature he attacked seemed to splatter, the form seeming almost liquid-like. But then the parts that had been separated suddenly stopped mid-air, and retreated back to the main form.

 

“I don’t think practical weapons work on it!” Yuuri called to the whole team, much to his own dismay. Of course the mission would have an objective that required an ample amount of magic. Of course.

 

“Gee, what was your first clue?” Yuri shouted back, having landed and retreated from the creature.

 

Chris chose to make his move then, also leaping off the top of the train, his fists alight with electricity. As soon as his magic made contact with the beast, it emitted a shriek so horrible and piercing that they all recoiled. Chris forgoed a second hit in order to land and retreat, and the vines that held the beast in place visibly tightened as it thrashed about.

 

“I have a plan!” Victor called to them. “I’m going to let it go!”

 

“You what?!” Yuri shrieked.

 

“Victor are you sure--” Chris started.

 

“Defeating this thing is only second to finding out more about it, which won’t happen if we take care of it immediately. So I’m going to let it go on the count of three,” Victor explained quickly. “Chris, I don’t know how fast this thing can move, so I’ll need you to be ready.”

 

Chris took on a ready stance, his entire body practically radiating power. Yuri and Yuuri backed up, intent on not being caught by the creature once it was set loose.

 

“One!”

 

Yuuri almost laughed, that something seemingly familiar could be found in such a strange situation.

 

“Two!”

 

He was certain his hand would be permanently stuck in the shape of a fist if he clutched at his bow any tighter.

 

“Three--!”

 

As soon as it was given the barest inch, the creature snapped free, rapidly turning in circles before charging into the train again. Chris moved to it in a literal flash, using small bursts of electricity to herd it away from the train. Confused and aggravated, the beast turned to Yuri and Yuuri and promptly charged. They split in opposite directions, allowing the beast the careen straight past them. As it passed, however, in managed to swipe at Yuuri, catching him by the leg. He fell face first into the ground and felt a gut wrenching snap against the bridge of his nose. As he pushed himself up, he saw his glasses dangle in two pieces on either side of his face.

 

Before he could stand on his own, someone grabbed his arm and shoved him up onto his feet, and the pieces of his glasses fell to either side of his neck, attached only by the safety cord he’d attached to them. He turned to the person who still held a vice grip on his arm.

 

It was Victor. He was saying something, but Yuuri supposed he must’ve taken one hell of a blow to his head, because he couldn’t focus on what Victor was saying. He felt Victor give him a shake, saw his brow wrinkle with concern. Concern… for what? Yuuri wondered. He blinked. The mission! The creature! Was it getting away? He whipped his head around to look, only to have the world around him spin in a sickening manner. Were it not for Victor’s firm hold on him, he might’ve fallen to the ground.

 

“Yuuri!” Victor’s voice shouted, distant and tinny.

 

He turned back to Victor, falling forward to lean on him. He shut his eyes, desperately trying to bring everything together again, trying to focus, but anything resembling coherence slipped away from him the harder he tried to grasp at it. 

 

When Yuuri opened his eyes again, the confusion hit him first, followed closely by panic. He was on his back, facing an unfamiliar ceiling. He shot upright, only for his head to throb painfully.

 

“Careful!” Victor urged, appearing at his side. “You hit your head at least twice, you probably have a concussion.”

 

Yuuri rubbed his eyes, trying to will away the pain. Oddly enough, the pain began to ebb away, albeit slowly and gradually. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. They were on the train again, and it was moving. The sun was still shining brightly outside.

 

“What happened?” Yuuri croaked.

 

“You hit your head,” Victor repeated. “Several times.”

 

“No, I mean--” Yuuri rubbed at his temples. “The creature, where did it go?”

 

“It ran off, but we couldn’t follow it because you passed out,” Victor said.

 

Yuuri groaned, hiding his face in his hands. The very first day of the mission, and he’d already messed up. He hadn’t even been able to do anything against the void creature, his arrow had sailed harmlessly through it.

 

“Where are Chris and Yuri?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the rapidly rising wave of shame.

 

“Getting some food,” Victor answered.

 

Yuuri sighed. “If you had waited, I could’ve tracked it. I haven’t been out for that long, have I?”

 

“No more than a couple hours, but Yuuri, you need medical attention, you--”

 

“Hit my head, yeah, I know,” Yuuri snapped. Not even a second had passed when he realized how that sounded. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to snap, I just--” He growled in frustration, rubbing his forehead in his aggravation.

 

Victor grabbed his hand, commanding his undivided attention. “Yuuri, even if we had waited, you’d be in no condition to go after it. My priority is making sure that everyone on this team is taken care of, and that includes you. So please, get some rest?”

 

Yuuri found it hard to refuse since Victor had asked so nicely, but even as he gently reclined back he felt his focus grow sharper with every passing minute. Surely he didn’t have a concussion, he’d just taken a blow (or two) to the head. It took more than that to take him out; he’d always been remarkably sturdy.

 

He said as much to Victor, who chuckled softly.

 

“All the same, I’d feel better if you saw a doctor. If the doctor clears you then I’ll believe you,” he said.

 

“And if they don’t?”

 

Victor paused, expression serious. “Then, as much as I hate to say it, you’d probably need to go home.”

 

Yuuri said nothing to that. His stomach was in knots at thought of possibly going home after not even an entire day on a mission. He clamped down on them with steely resolve, quickly deciding that he wouldn’t go home, no matter what. If he had to bribe or strongarm the doctor into clearing him, he would do it, but Yuuri was absolutely not going home. Not yet.

 

It was silent for some time. Yuuri almost reached into his pocket for his phone when he remembered he didn’t have it. Phichit was going to kill him when he got back, although not before extracting every single detail about the mission from him.

 

Outside the compartment, the intercom suddenly crackled to life.

 

“Attention passengers. Due to an emergency that has arisen at the next stop, the train will not be proceeding to the Rukbat Station. An alternate route has been chosen to proceed to the next station. We apologize for any inconvenience. Attention passengers--”

 

Yuuri sat up again, looking at Victor. “What sort of emergency do you suppose it is?

 

“Hard to say without more information,” Victor answered, tapping a finger against his lips.

 

The compartment door slammed open without preamble, admitting Yuri and Chris.

 

“We heard the news from the conductor, apparently that shadow beast thing made it all the way to Rukbat!” Yuri exclaimed, grabbing his weapon and his bag.

 

“While that’s good to know, we won’t be going,” Victor stated simply.

 

“What do you mean?!” Yuri and Yuuri exclaimed simultaneously.

 

“You know what I mean,” Victor said, more to Yuuri than anyone else.

 

“I feel fine! Victor, what are the odds we’ll get this lucky again?” Yuuri insisted, grabbing his own bag. His head was no longer spinning, and he had only a mild headache.

 

“It doesn’t matter, you--”

 

“I’m fine! And I’m going! If nothing else the people of that town need to know how to beat that creature, and we know only magic works on it. At the very least, we should go to tell them that, right?” Yuuri argued, feeling very heated.

 

Victor eyed him sternly, and Yuuri wondered if it was the best idea to fly off the handle like that. Still, it was done, and if Victor still said no, then… Well, Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure what he would do.

 

But Victor didn’t say no. Instead, he stood up and grabbed his own bag.

 

“Alright then, let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get exciting~! I hope you all enjoyed it. Once again, many thanks to the beautiful, radiant, and all-around awesome Rendevok! You're the real MVP!! I hope to have the next chapter within the week, but I have another babysitting job for the week, so we'll see.


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